The Behaviour Support Plan Content Appraisal Tool (BSP-CAT): A New Tool for Assessing and Improving the Quality of Behavioural Support Plans.
The BSP-CAT is a quick, reliable checklist that tells you if an adult-ID behaviour plan is good enough to use.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Baker et al. (2025) built a new checklist called the BSP-CAT. It scores how good a behaviour-support plan is for adults with intellectual disability.
Two raters used the tool on 47 real plans. They did it twice, two weeks apart, to see if scores stayed the same.
What they found
The BSP-CAT showed good to moderate reliability. Different raters gave similar scores, and scores stayed steady over time.
This means the tool can spot strong versus weak plans without much guesswork.
How this fits with other research
Hanzen et al. (2018) audited adult support plans and found big gaps in writing about inclusion and leisure. The BSP-CAT now gives you a clear way to catch those same gaps.
van Timmeren et al. (2016) showed that Dutch plans already change goals by ID level. Using the BSP-CAT lets you check if those goals are also written well, not just different.
Gerber et al. (2011) urge you to screen for pain, sleep, and vision issues before writing any plan. The BSP-CAT adds a quality lens so the plan you write after screening is solid.
Why it matters
If you write or review behaviour plans for adults in residential care, the BSP-CAT gives you a fast, reliable score sheet. You can flag missing pieces, show staff what to fix, and track progress over time. Try it on one plan this week and compare scores with a co-worker to see where you agree or differ.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
People with intellectual disabilities are at increased risk of presenting behaviours that challenge. Behaviour support plans (BSPs) guide the use of bespoke strategies to maximise life quality and reduce the risk of behaviours that challenge. The behaviour support plan content appraisal tool (BSP‐CAT) was developed to assess and improve the quality of BSPs. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of the BSP‐CAT. Test–retest and inter‐rater reliability were examined with the assistance of practitioners that supported adults with intellectual disabilities and behaviour that challenges. All participants received prior training and independently used the measure to score BSPs available to them. Participants provided 98 BSP‐CAT scores for 47 behaviour support plans. Good to moderate reliability was established at the total and strand level. Preliminary analysis suggests the BSP‐CAT has encouraging reliability.
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1111/jar.70153